


You Put Your Arms Around Me

by Ahelpfulpeach



Series: She-Ra Canon Universe Stories [21]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Morning Cuddles, POV Adora (She-Ra), POV Alternating, POV Catra (She-Ra), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26799229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahelpfulpeach/pseuds/Ahelpfulpeach
Summary: "Before she’s even fully conscious, Adora is happy. It doesn’t take long to figure out why—she’s surrounded by warmth and pressure and rumbling purr."
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: She-Ra Canon Universe Stories [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763977
Comments: 36
Kudos: 268





	You Put Your Arms Around Me

**Author's Note:**

> Like [Pressure](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25394932), this is vague and untethered from the bounds of time and space, but I imagine it taking place roughly a year and a half after the finale. 
> 
> This pile of fluff was a birthday gift for a good buddy of mine!!!

Before she’s even fully conscious, Adora is _happy_. It doesn’t take long to figure out why—she’s surrounded by warmth and pressure and rumbling purr. Catra is pressed tight to her back, like she can’t physically be close enough—even half asleep, Adora can relate. Tilting her head, a snorting laugh escapes as Catra buries her face into her neck, breath tickling the sensitive skin.

“Catra-”

“Nope, hush,” she interrupts with a voice still crackly with sleep, squeezing tighter. Adora fights back a little shiver as Catra’s lips brush over her neck as she speaks, press as she settles again. She doesn’t say anything more, doesn't have to. Adora knows the feeling, that aching fullness that demands action and closeness and _more_. So she stays quiet, happily squirming back into Catra’s embrace.

Purring even louder, Catra hitches a leg over her hip and nestles close. Adora almost laughs again, probably would have if she hadn’t done the same thing dozens of times, tried to wrap herself around her lover, make up for the impossibility of _closer_ with more surface area. Instead, she allows herself to melt in Catra’s embrace, the stiffness she always seems to carry just leaking from her body. Her vigilance served her well for so long, it’s hard to let it go completely. But then Catra rewards the easing tension with a happy sigh, and all Adora can do is relax further.

One hand snakes up under Adora’s arm, blindly groping for her hand until their fingers are properly intertwined. Once that’s settled, Catra nuzzles further into her neck with an almost violent force, purring the entire time. It’s only once she’s rubbed her face over every inch of Adora’s skin she can reach without putting any distance between them that Catra settles again, her formerly twitching tail coming to rest over their legs.

“Better?”

“Mmm. Much. And I thought I told you to hush.” The admonishment is delivered with a nip that does absolutely _nothing_ to deter her, but Adora heeds the words regardless. It’s rare to have mornings like this; she’s usually awake first, up and exercising or showering as Catra comes to grips with consciousness. If she returns to bed, it’s rarely for this languid cuddling. At least, not for very long. The moods shifts or they have to actually get up and do things—She-Ra things, diplomat things, friend things, sometimes it seems like they are busier now than they were during the war.

Behind her, Catra lets out a tiny trill, apparently celebrating her victory over gravity as she winds her other arm around Adora’s chest.

Maybe it’s not so much that they’re busier, as that they have more things to look forward to in their off time.

It’s impossible to smother the grin the sound invokes, and somehow, despite currently smothering herself in the crook of her neck, Catra notices.

“Not a word,” she growls with absolutely no menace.

“Was just gonna say your arm is gonna fall asleep.” Adora fails to keep the grin out of her voice, and gets another nip, this time on the shoulder, for her troubles.

“I’ll be fine. You gonna let me cuddle you in peace?”

Adora snuggles back into her wordlessly, allowing Catra to shift her arm slightly. It’s going to fall asleep and they both know it, but she’s hardly going to argue being held. Plus, Catra is far too stubborn to give it up now.

* * *

Her arm is falling asleep. Catra knew this wasn’t a great idea, but she has a tendency to throw consequence out the window when it comes to Adora. And since Adora was a little brat and brought it up, well. She can’t very well give up _now_ , can she? So she wiggles her fingers, settles them against Adora’s collarbone, and does her best to ignore the creeping feeling of numbness.

Thankfully, there’s plenty to distract herself with.

Adora is kinda fantastic to look at at basically all times, but nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing her asleep. Particularly in the morning. _Especially_ when she herself woke up peacefully. This was one of those one in a million mornings, waking up before Adora for no reason other than the light coming into their room.

Catra’s self control allowed her to enjoy that view for all of a few minutes before diving in, pulling Adora’s body to her.

And now, well. Now Adora definitely isn’t asleep, and will probably start to get antsy before too long. Even in her calmest moments, she doesn’t, _can’t_ stay still for long. But for now at least, she is resting, pliant and relaxed and warm. Catra shifts her weight a little, settling more firmly on top of her girlfriend. Sure, it’ll speed the loss of sensation in her arm, but that’s a sacrifice she is willing to make for a few more minutes of this. The weight grounds her, Adora claims. Maybe it’s an excuse to cuddle more, but it’s not one Catra will ever bother to call her out on. Not when she reaps the benefits too.

Adora’s contented little hum has her pressing kisses along her neck and jaw, like the giant dork she’s apparently turned into. Soft pecks, more an expression of the _stupidly_ warm mess going on in her chest than anything else. Said mess leaves her just as antsy as Adora, needing to hold and squeeze and nuzzle and just. Something. Anything. Get it _out_ and onto the woman beneath her, where it belongs. They’re both active people, and the urge to _do_ and _move_ is hard to ignore

Eventually though, that drive fades to its usual background level—it hasn’t ever _fully_ stopped since that first kiss—allowing Catra to finally slump against Adora’s back again. Adora chuckles, craning her neck to try to see her. She looks ridiculous, hair mussed and tangled, the imprint of the pillow on her cheek. And somehow still _gorgeous._

“You want your arm back?”

Catra doesn’t deign to give her an answer, but luckily Adora is in a merciful mood. She pushes herself—and Catra, because even only halfway conscious this jackass won’t miss the opportunity to show off—up off the bed, freeing Catra’s arms. Immediately, she coils the less dead one around Adora’s waist, digging into her side with glee. And immediately, Adora collapses, giggling helplessly as she curls in on herself.

“ _Betrayal_ ,” she can barely get the word out, even after Catra sits back, a smug grin on her face.

“Payback.”

Despite still recovering, Adora finds the willpower to roll her eyes. And to sit up. Which is the slightly more concerning of the two.

Adora must catch her flinch, because she smirks—asshole—and raises her hands.

“Cease fire for now, just wanted to say good morning.”

Still a _bit_ suspicious, Catra allows herself to be drawn in for a soft kiss. Which she maybe sort of melts into like the sap Adora has turned her into. Just a little.

“Mornin’,” she mumbles, unwilling to pull away entirely to enunciate. Really, who cares anyway? Adora knows what she means. Adora also knows they will stay like that for hours if they let themselves get carried away, which unfortunately means she pulls back after a far too short moment.

Catra doesn’t pout, and _certainly_ doesn’t whine about it. And Adora doesn’t graciously ignore said protests, save for a quick smirk as she gets up. There’s nothing to ignore. Obviously.

“We’ve got stuff to do.” It really isn’t fair that she’s pretty _and_ correct at the moment.

“Fine. We _are_ coming back to this later.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Christina Perri's "Arms"
> 
> Sorry for the radio silence folks! I'm in grad school, and it kinda takes up most of my motivation to do things throughout the week. I have several fics I'm working on, but I can make no promises about when they may be put up, as my energy is a little sapped. Good news is, I am FINALLY getting to see a sports med doc about my wrists, so hopefully that will at least no longer be a factor in my slowness in the near future.


End file.
